Donald Edward Anderson died March 6 of end-stage heart disease caused by congestive heart failure. He was 77 years old. A long-time resident of Newport Beach, Don passed away in Foster City while visiting his sister and her family.

Don was born in San Diego on Aug. 31, 1935 to Donald Nelson and Phyllis Talbot Anderson. Don graduated from La Jolla High School in 1953. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1958 and his Doctor of Dental Science (DDS) from the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. After graduation from dental school, Don served as a captain in the Army Dental Corps at Fort Leavenworth for three years, honorably discharged in 1966.

Don is survived by his wife, Catherine Striso Anderson; sons Ske Anderson of Newport Beach and Ketch Anderson of Newton, Mass.; daughter Jill Jackson from a former marriage; two granddaughters; and sister Diane Harvey (husband Dave and their two sons Will Harvey of Palo Alto and Ben Harvey of Sacramento). Don belonged to the extended Anderson family descended from the late state Sen. John Anderson and his wife, Elizabeth, Don’s grandparents.

Don’s enthusiasm for life was demonstrated by his many professional interests. He was a dentist; a commercial fisherman; a licensed boat captain; the owner/skipper of three sport-fishing boats; an award-winning contributor to research on pelagic fish (tagging them in oceans around the world); an award-winning winemaker who owned and managed a vineyard and a winery; a frequent public speaker and contributor to publications devoted to wine, boating, or fishing; and an author of four books, including three novels that connected his vast knowledge and experience to his understanding of world-wide issues (“Deadly Calm,” “Seas the Day” and “Golden Results”).

Don was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, the Orange County Mensa Society, the Orange County Dental Association and many other organizations dedicated to dentistry, oceans, fishing or winemaking. Beyond his accomplishments, Don will be remembered for his gentleness, kindness, quiet sense of humor and his ability to observe and listen.

Services for Don will be held at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach on Friday, April 5 at 1 p.m. A reception will follow. Don’s ashes then will be scattered at sea. Memorial donations may be made in Don’s name for Cal Men’s Crew (made to U.C. Regents, c/o Cal Athletics Department, 195 Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, 94720, or online at www.calbears.com-/donate ), or to the Don Anderson scholarship fund at Progressive Strength Recovery, Inc. of Irvine (1150 Main Street, Suite B, Irvine, 92614, or call (949) 851-1007).